Former Freedom track star Smith is UF cover boy

Posted Jan 26, 2010 by Bill Ward

Updated Jan 26, 2010 at 06:15 PM

Former Freedom High track and field standout Calvin Smith II, who earned a place on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team as part of the 4x400-meter relay pool, is the featured athlete on this year’s University of Florida media guide.

Smith, who is entering his senior season at UF, is displayed on the top and center of the cover. He is flanked by Gator teammates Christian Taylor, a sophomore who won the NCAA indoor triple jump title last year, and junior Terrell Wilks, an all-American in both the 100-meter dash and 4x100 relay.

Also making the cover were four-time all-American sprinter Jeremy Hall, a senior, and three-time NCAA champion thrower and two-time Olympian Mariam Kevkhishvili, a senior from Tblisi, Georgia.

Smith is joined on the UF roster by numerous athletes from the Tampa Bay area. On the women’s side, there’s Wharton product Amani Bryant, a freshman hurdler, St. Petersburg Lakewood’s Ali Crabb, a sophomore distance runner, Gaither’s Morgan Scherschel, a freshman pole vaulter, and Palm Harbor University’s Madison McNary, a sophomore sprinter.

On the men’s side, the Gators roster include four freshmen who were among the state’s top middle/long distance runners last season: Durant’s John Mitchell, Wharton’s Sean Obinwa and Sickles twins Derek and Dan Wehunt. UF also boats jumper LaVaughn King of TBT and junior thrower Doug Nelson of Sickles.

Smith, the 2009 Southeastern Conference champion at 400 meters, has already earned 13 all-American titles in his first three seasons at UF.

Two former Gator standouts, vaulter Natalie Moser of Wharton and distance star Sara Petrick from the Academy of Holy Names, are featured in the guide as women receving a “departing salute” following the conclusion of their standout careers last season at UF. Although he went to the Beijing Games as part of the relay pool, he didn’t get to run a round. This year, however, he’s taking aim at a NCAA crown in the 400 and an open title at the U.S. Outdoor Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

Like many other Division I track programs, the Gators opened the season two weeks ago at the Kentucky Invitational. There, Smith joined forces with Taylor, Tony McQuay and Jovon Toppin to win the 4x400 with an automatic qualifier for the NCAA finals in 3:06.40. Smith was also third in the 200 (21.25) . This weekend, Smith and his UF teammates head to head to the Texas A&M Challenge in College Station, Texas, a two-day meet that features three of the top teams each from the Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC.